Potential-regulator.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1907. W. H. THOMPSON.

POTENTIAL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1906.

2 SHEET3-SHI5ET l.

INVENTOR aw A-TORNEY WITNESSES:

PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

W. H. THOMPSON. POTENTIAL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR in a regulating system of the class above in- .arranged to selectively admit fluid-pressure UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILBUR H. THOMPSON, OF VVILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

POTENTIAL-REGULATOR- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 25, 1908. Serial No. 323,305.

No. 851,709. Patented April 30, 1907.

To all whom it may concern: 1 the meter relay immediately reverses the Be it known that I, WILBUR H. THOMP- l motor or admits fluid-pressure to the oppo- SON, a citizen of the United States, and a i site end of the cylinder and the coil, instead resident of W'ilkinsburg, in the county of of coming to rest in the desired position, will Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have i fluctuate back and forth. This fluctuating invented a new and useful Improvement in or pumping may be avoided by materially Potential-Regulators, of which the following reducing the voltage applied to the motor or is a specification. the fluid-pressure admitted to the cylinder,

My invention relates to systems of regulabut the action of the system becomes'very tion for electric circuits and has special refmuch slower and when a relatively large erence to systems that comprise movablei variation in voltage is to be corrected, 8. concoil transformers which are adapted to ausiderable time is required. t-omatically maintain a substantially const ant potential upon an electric circuit.

The object of my invention is to provide,

In order to correct large variations in a relatively short length of time without involving the fluctuating action of the mechanism hereinbefore described when slight va iations are to be corrected, I provide, with the electric motor driven regulator, a resistance in series with the motor and automatically short-circuit the same when large variations occur. In the fluid-pressure system, I provide a reducing valve between the source of the fluid-pressure and the selecting valve which determines the end of the cylinder to which pressure is applied. In this dicated, means for automatically actuating the movable coils of the transformer regulator to correct variations in the electromotive force of the energy received from the source of supply, that shall give a quick action in response to a considerable variation, without vibrating about the position which the movable coil should occupy, when the variations are relatively slight.

A well known form of potential regulator comprises a transformer having groups of relatively movable coils the positions of which may determine the ratio of the electromotive forces in the groups. These coils have usually been moved either by electric motors or by fluid-pressure cylinders. In order to make the action of the regulator automatic, meter relays have been employed, which, when motors were used, completed the motor circuits for rotation in the one or the other direction, as variations in the electromotive force occurred. When fluid-pressure devices were employed, a circuit was completed through one valve magnet when the line electromotive force rose above a predetermined amount, and a circuit was completed through another valve magnet when the electromotive force fell below a predetermined amount, the valve magnets being slow to avoid an excessive movement of the coils when shght variations are being correlatively large variations in voltage are being corrected by opening a shunt path for the fluid-pressure around the reducing valve. In this way, the speed of correction is automat-ically determined by the amount of variation to be corrected.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a s stem arranged in accordance therewith. ig. 2 is a similar view of a modified system in which an electric motor is employed for changing the position of the coils and Fig. 3 is a simple diagram showing the main circuits of the systems shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, single-phase electrical energy is supplied to the ends of the cylinder. from generator 1 to a primary. and stationary If a relatively highvoltage is applied to l winding 2 of a regulating transformer 3. the motor or if a high fluid-pressure is sud.-

The transformer comprises a core member 4, denly admitted to the cylinder when only a a stationary supporting frame 5 and movslight variation from the desired line voltage able secondary coils 6, the positions of which, occurs. the moving coil will be carried past relative to the stationary coils 2, determines the position which it should occupy so that the electromotive force ratio between the way, the action of the cylinder is sufficiently rected and the action is quickened when L I-o'o pressure Cy moving contact arm 21 primary and secondary coils. The movable coils 6 are connected to an electric circuit 7-8, which is supplied therefrom. The weight of the moving coils is counterbalanced by a mass 9 that is connected to the coils by a cable or a chain 10 which passes over a sleeve or pulley 11. The position of the movin coils is determined by a fluidinder 12 having a piston 13 that is connected to the mass 9 by a rod 14. Fluidpressure may be selectively admitted to either end of cylinder 12 from a storage tank 15 by a piston valve 16, the cylinder 16 of which is directly connected to the storage tank by a length of pipe 17, in which a reducing valve 17 a is located. The position occu-" pied by the piston valve 16 is automatically determined by a meter relay 18, which is connected across the feeder circuit 7-8 by conductors 19 and 20 and which comprises a and a plurality of stationary contact members 22, 23, 24 and 25. One end of the movable contact arm 21 is flexible and the stationary contact members 22 and 23 are engaged by this flexible end, before the opposite extremity engages the stationary members 24 and 25, which are more widely separated. When the electromotive force applied to the feeder circuit 7-8 rises slightly above a predetermined amount, the movable contact arm 21 moves into engagement with the stationary contact member 22. Energy is then supplied from any convenient source, such as a transformer 26, through conductor 28, movable contact arm 21, stationary contact member 22, conductor 28 and magnet winding 29 to the opposite terminal of transformer 26. The energizing of the electromagnet 29 closes a switch 30 and energy is supplied from a transformer 31 through conductor 32, switch 30 and conductor 33 to the Winding of a valve magnet 34, from which point the circuit is completed through conductor 35. The energizing of the valve magnet 34 moves the piston valve 16 to one extremity of its travel in 0 position to a centering spring 36, and fluid pressure is admitted through a pipe 37 to the lower end of the cylinder 12. -VVhen the fluid-pressure is admitted in this manner, the position of the moving coil 6 is changed so as to correct the variations in electronictive force which occur in the feeder circuit 7-8. In a similar manner, a slight decrease in the electromotive-force from a predetermined amount moves the contact member 21 into engagement with the stationary contact member 23 and energy is then sup- Iied from the transformer 31, through a reay switch 38 to a magnet winding 39. The electro-magnet 39 then moves the piston valve in the op osite direction, and fluidpressure is admitted, through a pipe 40, tov the upper end of the cylinder 12 to effect a movement of the coil 6 in the opposite direcelectro-magnet 42,

tion. If a considerable variation in the voltage of the feeder circuit 7-8 occurs, the oposite extremity of the movable arm 21 is forced into engagement with the one or the other of the stationary contact members 24 and 25. -In either case, energy is supplied to this switch is closed, energy is supplied from the transformer 31 through switch 41 to an circuit being completed from this point through the conductor 35. The energizing of the magnet winding 42 opens a valve 43 in opposition to a spring 44, whereupon fluid-pressure is supplied through shunt pipes 45 and 45 to the cylinder 16 without passing through the reducing valve 17 In this way, a moderate action of the regulator corrects a slight variation of the electro-magnet force at the feeder circuit and a quick action-of the regulator is effected by a sudden admission of pressure from the storage tank when a considerable variation in electromotive force is to be corrected.

Referring to Fig. 2, an electric motor 46. is substituted for the pneumatic cylinder 12 of Fig. 1. for effecting the desired motion of the movable coil 6 of the regulator 3. The motor 46 comprises an armature 47 and a series field magnet winding 48 and is arranged to produce rotation of the pulley 1] in the one direction or the other. The meter relay 18 effects the closure of either switch 30 or switch 38, according to the electromotive force of the circuit 7-8. When the switch 30 is closed, a circuit is completed from a terminal 49 of the transformer 31, through conductor 50, magnet winding 51 of a switch 52, switch 30 and conductor 53 to the opposite terminal 54 cf the transformer. The energizing of the winding 5] closes the switch 52 and a circuit is then completed from the terminal 49 of the transformer 31 through a resistance 55, conductor 56, contact members 57 and 58 of switch 51, armature 47 of the motor 46, contact members 59 and 60 of a switch 61, which is open, conductor 62 and the series field magnet winding 48 of the motor 46 to the terminal 54 of the transformer. When the switch 38 is closed, as hcreinbeforc explained in connection with Fig. 1, circuit connections are similarly completed through transformer 31, conductor 50, magnet winding 51 of the switch 61, switch 38 and conductor 53 to the terminal 54 of the transformer. The energizing of the magnet winding 51 closes the switch 61 and completes a circuit from the transformer 31, through resistance 55, conductor 56, 63 and 64 of the switch 61, conductor 65, armature 47, conductor 66, contact members 67 and 68 of the switch 52, which is now open, conductor 62 and series field magnet winding 48 cf the motor 46. The resistance 55 is so designed as to restrict the motor 46 1 and the coil 6 to a relatively slow motion, and

the magnet of a relay switch 41, and when IIO contact members corresponds to the reducing valve 17 of Fig. 1, since both prevent a sudden change in the relative position of the stationary and movable coils of the regulator when only a slight variation occurs in the electromotive force. If a considerable variation in the voltage of the circuit 78 occurs, the switch 41 will be closed, as hereinbefore explained in connection with Fig. 1. When the switch 41 is closed, energy is supplied fromthe transformer 3] to a magnet winding 69 of a switch 70, and the closure of this switch short-circults the resistance 55, thereby materially increasing the voltage applied to the motor 46 when a considerable variation in electromotive force in the circuit 78 is to be corrected.

I desire that my invention shall be construed to cover-variations which obtain similar results and that only such limitations be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a transformer regulator, the combination with relatively movable coils and a fluid-pressure actuating device therefor, of means for regulating the fluid-pressure supplied to the actuating device that is dependent upon the amount of variation in the element corrected by the regulator.

2. Ina transformer regulator, the combination with relatively movable coils and actuating means for varying the relative positions of the coils,- of means for, varying the speed at which the change in position takes place that is dependent upon the amount of correction required.

3. In a transformer regulator, the combi nation with stationary coils, movable coils and a fluid-pressure cylinder, of means for varying the fluid-pressure admitted to the cylinder that is dependent upon the amount of variation in the element corrected by the regulator.

4. In a transformer regulator, the combination with stationary. coils and movable coils, of means for slowly actuating the movable coils whena predetermined correction is required and for rapidly actuating the mov able coils when the correction required exceeds a predetermined amount.

5. In a transformer regulator, the combi nation with stationary coils, movable coils and a fluid-pressure cylinder, of means for slowly actuating the movable coils when a predetermined correction is required and for rapidly actuating the movable coils when the correction required exceeds a predetermined amount.

6. In a transformer regulator, the combination with stationary coils, movable coils and a fluid-pressure cylinder which changes the relative positions of the stationary and movable coils, of means for automatically regulating the rapidity of the action that is dependent upon the amount of regulation required. 7. In a transformer regulator, the combination with stationary coils, movable coils and a fluid-pressure cylinder for varying the relative positions of the coils, valve magnets which determine the end of the cylinder. to which the fluid-pressure is admitted, of means for automatically regulating the rapidity of the action that is dependent upon the amount of regulation required.

8. In a transformer regulator, the combination with stationary coils, movable coils, a fluid-pressure actuating cylinder therefor, a reducing valve and means for admitting air through the valve to either end of the cylinder, of means for shunting the reducingvalve to admit full pressure to the cylinder.

9. In a transformer regulator, the combination with stationary coils, movable coils, a fluid-pressure actuating cylinder therefor, a reducing valve and means for admitting air to either end of the cylinder, of automatic means for shunting the reducing valve that is dependent upon a predetermined variation in the element to be corrected by the reguator. 10. In a constant potential regulator, the combination with stationary coils, movable coils, a meter relay device and a movable contact arm therefor, two pairs of stationary cooperating contact members, one pair of which is adapted to be engaged when slight variations in the potential occur and the other pair of which is adapted to be engaged when a considerable variation occurs, of a fiuid-pressure cylinder which determines the relative positions of the movable and stationary coils, a selective admission valve' therefor, electro-magnets which control the action of the valve, and means for admitting an increased pressure to the cylinder that is dependent upon a considerable potential variation.

1 1. In a transformer regulator, the combination with an electric circuit, relatively movable coils, and means for automatically adjusting their positions to obtain a substantially constant potential in the circuit, of means for producin a relatively rapid change in the position of t e coils when a predetermined variation occurs in the potential to be governed.

12. A potential regulator comprising relatively movable coils, an actuating device, a retarder for the actuating device and means for shunting the retarder when large varia tions in potential occur.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of June, 1906.

WILBUR H. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

BIRNEY HrNEs, VERYL B. BROUGHTON. 

